Heater for closed vehicles



Feb. 20, 1940. D SEARCY l HEATER FOR CLOSED VEHICLES Filed June 24, 1937yi/HAV IN1/E 0R.

e /f A TT RNEYS.

Patented Feb. 2o, `1940 Unirse STATES HEATER FOR CLOSED VEHICLES LynnD., Searcy, St. ClairShcres, Mich.

`Application June 24,

2 Claims.

. in my heater that are heated by the hot exhaust gases normally passingoutlthrough the exhaust manifold of the automobilelengine.` l

A further objectof my engine is to provide a warm air manifold heaterfor` heating closed automobile bodies and with ita heater that can bemanufactured economically and can be operated very efciently. i

A particular purpose 'of my invention 4is to pro-` vide a manifoldheater `for the warmair heating of automobile bodies and a type ofheater which is not only economical to make and convenientto install,but whichv is made of a design Vwhichfpermits the hot gases tomovethrough a series of relatively thin channels While at the same time,

' I provide a chamber defined by a casing around those channels in sucha design as will permit the fresh.` air also to move through relativelythin channels on the outside of the hot gaschamber` I attain the objects`of my invention by my heater described in the annexed specification,re.

cited in the claims and `illustrated in the accomp panying drawingnwhich like reference numerals y indicate like parts in the figures.

Referring to the figures: l Fig. l is a perspective view of my .heatershow-4 ing in a cut-away details of the construction. thereof. l p Fig.2 is a side view of my invention while this figure discloses in acut-away the position of the heating unit within the casing and alsoshowing in the cut-away a detail of a baille plate over the centralexhaust port by` which Athe hot gases are` deflected in their movement,being requiredto move through a greater area in the heating unit beforeleaving the heater `as Waste gases.

Fig. 3 is a section taken from 3 to 3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectiontaken from 4 to` 4 on Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken from 5 to 5 onFig. 2. I am aware of the fact that from time to time there has appearedon the market car heaters using warm air as the heating medium as wellas hot water heaters but in my invention it is my for automobile closedbodies, which heater is developed on the scientific plan oi moving thehot exhaust gases through a gas chamber relatively thin in form wherethe heating unit is defined in a manne-r which will force the hot gasesto pass through relatively thin channels which are oommunicati-velyconnected and which have a larger part of the heating unit as the wallsthereof shaped so that the gases will be forced to move through thesethin channels; while at the samev time the` fresh air, to be heated bysaid gases within a casing enclosing the heating unit, isforced to-Inovethrough the chamber shaped thereby just outside of the heating unit ine.

manner moving the fresh air also through rela tively thin channels aboutthe heating unit. l

Thus by permitting the hot gases to pass through relatively thincommunicating channels and the fresh air moving through the heatercasingabout the thin channels of the heating unit, the hot gases willtransfer their heat more readily over more heating surfacewhjle thefresh air receives application of transferred heat in a `rather thinvolume outside of any one of the heating surfaces of the heating unitcausing the fresh air to he heater.

j Referring now to the preferred construction of my `invention and themanner of operating the same, I have chosen to illustrate a manifoldheater adapted to be operativelysecured to the right bank exhaust portsof a V-type eight-cylinder engine; However," for the sake of explanationof the merits of my invention, I choose to explain these at quickly asitmoves through the i merits by referring to the form of my inventionwhich uses means of attachment to three exhaust `ports of `an automobileengine.`

. I have not illustrated in the drawing an auto* of the engine Whilecollar 3 is bolted to-` the rear exhaust port of the engine.

The fresh air to be heated by my heater is blown by the car enginefaninot shown)` into the entrance 4 of casing `5 which surrounds theheating unit 6 and leaves-the heater casing through an outlet 'l thereofas it is blown directly into a vehicle or car body known as a closedbody type. l It will be noted that when the exhaust gases `from the carengine enter my manifold type of These channels are communicativelyconnected along their sides I3 by the zig-zag formation of s the heatingunitlbody I4 which is so shaped that there is provided a much greaterheating surface to permit the hot gases to transfer their heat moreefficiently to the fresh air. moves along the outer surface of heatingunit I4 and betweenthe relatively thin channels I2 defined bytheupper-zigzag part of the unit I4.

This thin passage I5 for the fresh air within the casing 5 forces thefresh air in thin volumes to move past heating unit I 4 and between theZig- Zag channels I2 thereof so that the air will be heated more quicklyin this manner as it is effectively and speedily blown through theheater.

It will benoted that the fresh air chamber not only includes passage I5about heating unit I4 but it includes those relatively thin recesses' I6between the zigzag turns in heating unit I4.

I also provide for `casing to surround. the low er part Ill of heatingchamber 8 and thus define a lower portion I8 of the fresh air channel onone side and I9 on the other, where casing 5 is spaced a little waysfrom heating unit I4.

The hot gases-entering gas chamber Il through neck l I will move up overthe central baffle plate 20 about neck I!) on their way back to what Ichoose to call the exhaust port 2| of my heater; While the hot gasesentering my heating unit I4 through neck IB are thrown vrearwardly bybaiile 2li causing such hot gases to movethrough the heating unit I4 ina less direct movement;` This will carry them rearwardly at iirst andthen up through the series ofA relatively thin gas channels I2 beforethey move forwardly up over baffle 2!) and ultimately out through myexhaust port 2| at the forward end of the heater.

If the exhaust gases entering .my heater through neck 9 "adapted to beoperatively con` necteol with the forward exhaust port yof the en` gine,were permitted to enter directly linto gas chamber 8 they wouldnecessarily beblown div rectly through this chamber and out through myexhaust port 2l which is preferably in direct line with neck il whichreceives such gases from the engine; but to avoid this unnecessary lossof the hot gases before utilizing their heat, I have pro` vided a bailleplate member 22 directly in front This fresh air l of neck 9 which willforce these hot gases up wardly as is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5,when they enter through neck 9 forcing them to speedily move up into therelatively thin channels I2 connected by passages I3 in the heating initI4 before they again come down to the lower portion I1 of chamber 8fromwwhich they are LIltimately released through my exhaust port 2I asindicated by the second arrow in Fig. 5.

With my invention, I utilize practical and dependable principles of heattransfer and with my heater I effect this result in a most eiiicient andspeedy manner.

Having thus described the nature of my invention,` what I claim is:

l. In a manifold type heater for closed vehicles adapted to becommunicatively connected with the exhaust ports of an automobileengine; a manifold element elongated and shaped to define a' series ofsuper-imposed channels communicatively connected along alternateopposite sides; said channels defining, as a unit, a hot gas chamber forthe accommodation of the moving exhaust gasesA leaving said ports; ametallic housing about said heating unit and spaced therefrom in amanner deiining'a relatively thin air passage between said heatingunitchannels and about them, openings in the forward and rear ends of saidhousing for` receiving and discharging L,fresh air respec* tively as it4passes through the housing to be warmed by said heating unit. 1

, 2. vIn a heater for closed vehicles having a housing adapted to becommunicatively connected of relatively thin zigzagged communicatingandk super-imposed channels defining an upper gas chamber in conjunctionwith said lower gas chamber; said heating runit supportedfby the exhaustports of said vehicle engine and communi catively connected therewith, abaflie member on one side of one of the intermediate exhaust portsfordirecting the hot gases entering said lower chamber through saidupper gas chambersbefore passing s to a gas discharge port therefor anda second baille plate infront of an end gas port of' said engine fordirecting the exhaust gases from said port rst up into said upperchannels of said gas heating unit before they circulate through saidlower gaschamber communicatively connected therewith and are releasedfrom an exhaust port defining a gas discharge openingin y said lower gaschamber of said` heating unit. 4

' LYNN D. SEARCY.

